


It's Homemade

by WriterfromGotham



Series: Collection of one Shots [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Brotherhood, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Gen, Gifts, I have a shopping problem, No Sex, No Smut, Wholesome, being as rich as Waynes has perks, etsy, homemade, no editing we die like robins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24463084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterfromGotham/pseuds/WriterfromGotham
Summary: Dick finds a new online shopping hobby.
Series: Collection of one Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1744768
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63





	It's Homemade

It's a small thing. Or at least was. Dick loved to show love in physical touch, words of affirmation, and gifts. The gift part was hard his family was rich enough to buy anything on a whim for themselves. He took a course on how to do simple crafts and was surprised to find he didn't have the patience it took to make a quilt or sweater for every member of his family back when it was just him Bruce and Alfred. Now he had so many siblings and friends that it would be impossible to make something for all of them.

Dick gave up on the gifts for a while realizing he would never get something that they wouldn't have or ever need. Knitting, quilting, and felt crafts weren't his forte and he was man enough to admit that even if it hurt. He was good at so many more things he told himself.

Wally and Dick tried to get lunch at least once a month out of uniform. On one such lunch, Wally gave him a mini Nightwing key chain that he discovered a whole new world. It was an almost perfect replica of his uniform it had him with a wide grin and both escrima sticks. The key chain was small and it wouldn't be a problem to put on his car keys.

Dick grinned and asked, "How did you make him? He's so cute."

Wally shrugged, "Don't know how he was made I bought him on Etsy." That one sentence changed everything for Dick. He immediately had Wally show him what Etsy was and to his absolute delight Dick found out he didn't have to be at crafts to give his family one of a kind creations. Wally gave him the site and showed him that it had almost anything for sale, antiques, crafts, and hard to find superhero merch. Dick's eyes were open to a world that could be achieved with a credit card with no limit in his name.

When Wally and Dick split ways Dick smiled and dangled his brand new key chain, "Thanks for mini wing."

"No problem. I know how hard it is to find Nightwing merch," Wally said and then he was gone in a blink of an eye.

It was in his apartment that Dick pulled up Etsy and found shop bios. A single mother in Iowa that made soap to make ends meet for her family. A college boy was putting himself through school making all kinds of superhero shirts. A man from Texas that made 100% wooden tables. A lady from the UK who arranged flowers so her cats could have a better life. Dick was in love. This was exactly what he wanted when he bought something he was helping someone else too.

This was everything he wanted. He ordered something for everyone. He knew they would love it as much as he did. It was super small businesses ran by one person or a family. His Amish knot rug that matched his bathroom came in the same day Alfred's vintage tea set did. Over the next few days, his apartment was filled with vintage and homemade goods he had bought for himself and his family. He kept every single note that the shop owners sent him thanking him for his order and support.

Dick invited Damian over to his home so he could give his special gifts to him then. He gave Damian a bar of vegan homemade soap, an iron-on Robin patch that would be school appropriate so he could put it on his backpack, and a new cat bed for his kittens (It was made from organic cotton!). Damian carefully unwrapped the box that Dick had put all the gifts in for him. Dick liked the look of astonishment on his face at the eclectic mix of items.

"I thought of you when I saw the soap was cruelty-free and it's supposed to smell like sandalwood. The patch is iron-on that way you can always take a piece of the R with you even at school. The lady that makes cat beds runs a cat shelter in Connecticut and makes beds to raise money for the cats. It's big enough for the kittens to grow into and supports a cause I knew you care about," Dick said as Damian pulled one item out at a time. "I found a website that has all kinds of things for sale that everyday ordinary people make and sale. It's amazing."

"Thank you. My kittens will like the bed. I do like that the shelter will be supported. I like the patch it's the same style as mine how did you get it so precise?" Damian asked as he ran his fingers over the embroidery.

"I sent in a blurry picture and I got this custom patch. I checked your school regulations and that is an acceptable size that you can put it on your backpack. I went back and forth between my style and yours. So I just got all of our Robin R's. I have mine on my work out bag. Tim and Jason haven't gotten theirs yet, I wanted to give you yours first," Dick said as he put an arm around Damian's shoulder. "We were the best Batman and Robin after all."

Damian leaned into the hug and whispered his thanks to Dick. "Do you think we could buy cat and dog beds for all of Gotham's animal shelters?" Damian asked.

"I think that could be arranged," Dick replied. "Send me pictures of your kittens in their bed I want to leave a review with them in it."

"I like the soap too. It smells like one of Father's colognes," Damian said he brought it to his nose and smelled it again, "Thank you, Grayson. You know me well."

"Your welcome. Expect way more stuff in the future. I'm in the process of getting dolls made in our likeness," Dick said as he waved his arms in excitement.

"Dolls, really?" Damian asked in a disbelieving tone.

"One of a kind accurate dolls for a super fan as far as the shop owner knows," Dick said smiling.

Dick was sure that Jason wouldn't go over to Dick's apartment so he went to his with a box full of handmade goods. Jason was taking apart his favorite handguns and cleaning them. Dick smelled the gun oil and cigarettes that he had come to associate with Jason. "I come bearing gifts, little brother!"

"We're the same height and I'm pretty sure I outweigh you," Jason replied wryly.

"I'm still the oldest!" Dick said silently reveling that Jason wasn't disputing that they were brothers.

"I found something that your not going to believe. It's a website that sales handmade goods so I got you some of the best they have to offer," Dick explained.

"You found Etsy?" Jason asked.

"How did you know about it but I didn't?" Dick said slightly offended.

"Kory makes and sells jewelry on their as a hobby. Artemis loves shopping there for most of her accessories. I know people that have birthdays. Where do you think Bruce got the mug that says, 'Always be yourself unless you can be Batman'?"

"I haven't seen that mug ever. Why doesn't he use that every day? Why didn't you give me one back when I was Batman for a hot second?" Dick asked now that Jason completely stole his thunder.

"It figures he wouldn't use it," Jason muttered as he pulled open the box that Dick gave him to open. The first thing he pulled out was a iron-on Robin emblem, a bar of soap that was shaped like a gun, and a tee-shirt that had the Red Hood bat symbol.

"I didn't even know gun soap was real," Jason said as he sniffed it. Dick had picked a vanilla leather combination that he know wouldn't make him think of Bruce or anything that might trigger memories.

"I saw that and I knew you had to have it. Etsy has everything even with how hard it is to find Red Hood merch I was able to find you a tee shirt. I bought one for me to," Dick said.

"Thanks a lot. Now I'm going to have to buy you a mug that says, 'Always be yourself unless you can be Nightwing'."

"I would love that," Dick said, "I have so many ideas for Christmas and your birthday. You are getting a lot more gun and grenade soap in the future."

"I'll look forward to it," Jason replied.

Cass was in Hong Kong so Dick had all of her gifts shipped directly there. She video called him when her soap scented with peach and cherry blossoms came in. She looked so happy with her handmade soap.

Dick couldn't help, but smile until his face hurt. He didn't tell her that she would also be getting a soybean candle and Orphan key chain. Casandra would be getting a lot more care packages from then on. He already was planning to send her some of Kory's jewelry. There was a reason Cass is his favorite sister.

The best way to get a hold of Tim is to text at least a few hours in advance and let him pick the place and time. Out of all of them, he and Tim were the only ones with jobs. While being a cop had some weird hours he didn't know anyone who put in more hours than Tim. He had thought long and hard about all of their gifts, but Tim's he didn't know what to pick out.

Tim texted him that he could meet him for lunch for a few minutes at the sandwich shop two minutes from Wayne Enterprises. Dick had Tim's box with assorted items in it on the top of his Civic and leaned against the trunk waiting for his little brother. Tim came out a few minutes after he said he would.

"Sorry, Dick, I got caught at the office and couldn't get away," Tim explain as he ran over to where Dick was. Dick wrapped his arms around him and pulled him a tight hug. "Is this where you give me handmade things you bought on Etsy? Tim asked gesturing to the box.

"How is it that everyone knows about Etsy, but me?" Dick said laughing. He gave Tim the box which without much fanfare he opened.

He pulled out the Robin emblem first his slender fingers rubbing the iron-on patch, before setting it back in the box and pulling out the bar of soap and smelling the orange scent. The last thing in the box Dick wasn't sure about when he bought it for him. It was a handmade rug he remembered something about his mom and the fact that having rugs made a house a real home. He didn't like Tim's apartment; it didn't seem like Tim or like a real home.

Tim pulled the pale blue and burgundy crocheted rug out of the box and felt the ribbed material. "It matched your bedroom and it made me think you," Dick explained.

"I like it. I like all of it. Thanks, Dick," Tim said. "Thanks for inviting me for lunch too.

"Is it weird that I bought way too much for anyone to use in one lifetime? I just found the shop and then I followed her Instagram and she has three kids and works as a respiratory therapist and I had to look up what that was, but she tries so hard to take care of her kids and patients. Soap is the one hobby she has that she likes and relaxes her. I got emotionally compromised and bought like six of each scent she makes," Dick explained. "I have a standing order and the homeless shelter is getting a sizable contribution each month."

"Only you would do that," Tim laughed, "I like it. The homeless population will all be cleaner thanks to you."

"Send me a picture of your rug. I want to see it on your hardwood floors. Now come on let's get lunch before you have to go back to work."

"I am the boss. They can't fire me for being a few minutes late," Tim said as they walked to the bustling shop.

Dick was carefully balancing two boxes while opening the door to the manor. Alfred was free today and Bruce had some time later in the afternoon which left time to get to talk to Alfred. Dick had planned it just right. Alfred was in the kitchen where he was making strudel when Dick gently set down the box. "Hi, Alfred. You will never guess what I found," Dick said as he hugged the older man.

"A handmade item and a bar of soap?" Alfred asked and Dick immediately knew that he had talked to his brothers.

"Even better. Remember that vintage tea set I broke when I was a kid? I found a complete set to replace it. Plus, I have some amazing soap for you."

"Thank you. I had almost forgotten about that tea service," Alred said as he opened the box and found the tea set packaged and in almost all bubble wrap. "It's the exact same. Thank you."

"I was so surprised when I found it. I know that it's not the same as the one your mother had, but I hope you still like it," Dick said as he got out the bar of soap that was in a paper bag. "This bar smells like English breakfast tea and vanilla. I couldn't think of a better combination for you."

"I love it. Dear boy, what soap did you get for yourself?" Alfred asked.

"I kept the blueberry scented one that was in the shape of a Wing Ding. It was marketed to children and cool adults."

Bruce was prepared when Dick came in with a box. He smiled a little and gestured for Dick to give it over.

"Hello to you too, Bruce."

"Damian, Tim, and Jason all texted me about what you got them. Barbara has already messaged me to drop hints about what's in her Etsy cart. She wants a coffee scrub and special pajamas that look 'soft' and something called a mug rug," Bruce replied as he opened the box with his name spelled out in Dick's blocky handwriting.

Bruce pulled out a tee-shirt that said, "Adopt Kids Not Dogs" he raised an eyebrow, and Dick smirked. "I had it specially ordered for you."

"I'll wear it on Father's day and hope Damian doesn't see it," Bruce said as he set it down. He pulled out a bar of soap and smelled it. "I like that scent."

"I thought you would like it, it reminded me of you when I smelled it," Dick replied.

Bruce reached in and got the last thing out was a picture frame that easily had collaged pictures of the boys and Cass. Half of it was full and the other side was empty waiting for pictures to fill it in the future.

"I got the biggest one because I wanted room for more pictures later. Do you like it?" Dick asked swaying on the balls of his feet.

"Yeah, I like it a lot. Thanks," Bruce said as he looked at all the pictures of his children. "Best surprise present ever."

**Author's Note:**

> Notes that don't really go with the story:
> 
> So I have been trying to buy more on Etsy and less on Amazon. It is crazy how much is on Etsy. That's the inspiration for the story. Shopping small is really cool. 
> 
> At work, they hired someone who played bagpipes to come and boost morale. I don't know if it worked or not. I'm just like why the bagpipes? It was cool but I'm confused. Bagpipes!?


End file.
